I stand at the mouth of the Tijuana River—a Stygian cesspool that flows 120 miles north from Baja California, through the working-class city of Tijuana with its hundreds of factories manufacturing gadgets for American consumers—before crossing the US-Mexico border. … While some find it convenient to blame Mexico for not maintaining its system of pipes, pumps, and wastewater treatment facilities, the reality is more nuanced. Tijuana’s exponential growth resulted directly from US economic and immigration policies, and its waste management falls under the binational International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), established by an 1889 US-Mexico treaty.

Other Tijuana River news:

• FOX5/KUSI (San Diego): 36,000 gallons of wastewater released after pipeline rupture near South Bay plant​